Apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies comprises a supply unit for carrying a supply roll of a flat plastic film tube having prefabricated pockets which can be filled with gas, and a filling unit to which the tube can be fed by the supply unit and which is operable to fill the pockets with a filling gas, the gas being introduced into the pockets by way of filling openings which are then closed. The apparatus further includes a discharge unit for discharge of a line of filling bodies to a user, with the filled plastic tube being fed to the discharge unit from the filling unit. The supply, filling and discharge units are supported on a carrier frame structure, with the supply unit being arranged thereon beneath the filling unit.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of German Utility Model application Serial No 20 2005 006 427.0 filed on Apr. 21, 2005, the subject-matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies and more particularly for the production of such filling bodies from a flat plastic film tube provided on a supply roll.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Filling bodies made of a plastic film material and which are filled with gas and more particularly air are being used to an increasing extent as filling and wrapping material for the transportation of delicate articles. It is particularly advantageous if the filling bodies can be produced only at the location at which they are to be used for packaging purposes, in an on-demand basis, with the starting material for producing the filling bodies being an elongate portion of material which is in a condition of being laid flat, as in that way the volume involved in transportation and storage of the film material for producing the filling bodies can be reduced.

Various different kinds of prefabricated film tubes for the production of filling bodies of that kind and corresponding filling apparatuses and processes can already be found, in which respect reference may be made in particular to WO 02 265 89, DE 101 60 408 A1, DE 101 61 812 A1 and DE 203 15 643 U1 which are to be incorporated herein by virtue of reference thereto, in regard to the nature of the film tubes used and in regard to the procedures involved in filling thereof.

In a previous form of procedure for producing gas-filled filling bodies, a prefabricated plastic film tube is produced in the form of a half-tube portion which is in a condition of being laid out flat and which is closed at one longitudinal side while being open at the other longitudinal side. The film tube is divided into pockets by pairs, which are disposed in closely adjoining relationship, of transverse weld seams, that is to say which extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the film tube. Tear-off perforations for easily separating the individual pockets can be provided between the respective pairs of weld seams. In that arrangement the transverse weld seams do not extend completely as far as the open side of the film tube. A filling unit for filling the filling bodies, which is suited to the above-discussed tubular film and as is to be found for example in above-mentioned DE 203 15 643 U1, provides that the film tube is continuously transported through the filling unit by an electric motor drive. In that arrangement, firstly the upper and lower films are lifted away from each other at the open side and air is injected therebetween so as to form air-filled cushions defined by the weld seams of the pockets. Immediately thereafter the upper and lower films are pressed against each other again, they are moved past a continuous welding device and they are welded together in the longitudinal direction so that the air enclosed in the cushions can no longer escape therefrom.

In that apparatus, the supply roll of the film tube is arranged behind the filling unit in the direction of transport movement of the film through the apparatus. In that case, the line of gas-filled filling bodies in the finished condition is removed from the apparatus by the user, at the front side of the apparatus. Typically, the user actuates a key or button on the apparatus, whereupon the filling unit continuously produces a line of filling bodies until the user stops the apparatus again. That apparatus however requires a relatively large amount of floor area and in addition requires a substructure with a support surface which protrudes to a great extent as the center of gravity of the mass of the overall apparatus constantly shifts in dependence on the film supply which is present on the supply roll, the weight of which is not to be disregarded in comparison with the weight of the filling apparatus overall.

It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies to obviate prior art shortcomings and to make it more compact and more stable in terms of standing on the ground.

It would also be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies in the form of an elongate line thereof, from a flat plastic film tube supplied from a supply roll, which is so designed that the apparatus takes up less ground area and is less susceptible to variations in its operating condition and in particular the amount of film tube on the supply roll.

It would also be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies in the form of an interconnected line thereof, which affords on-demand production of the bodies and which permits the finished bodies to be more readily removed from the apparatus by a user as required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies, in the form of a line thereof which can be separated from each other by means of perforations or the like, from a flat plastic material tube provided on a supply roll on the apparatus, comprises a supply unit for carrying the supply roll for the flat plastic film tube, the tube having prefabricated pockets which can be filled with gas. The apparatus includes a filling unit to which the film tube can be fed from the supply roll and which is adapted to fill the prefabricated pockets with a filling gas, with the filling gas being introduced into the pockets by way of filling openings, and the filling unit then being operable to sealingly close the filling openings. A discharge unit may be integrated into the filling unit or may be spatially separate therefrom, for discharge of the continuous line of filling bodies to a user, with the line of filling bodies being fed to the discharge unit from the filling unit. The supply unit, the filling unit and the discharge unit are supported on a carrier frame structure, with the supply unit being arranged on the carrier frame structure beneath the filling unit.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the filling unit may have a base plate, and the supply unit may be arranged beneath the base plate of the filling unit. The center of gravity of the filling unit and the center of gravity of the supply unit are preferably at least approximately disposed on a perpendicular axis, which means that the stability of the apparatus can be significantly improved as that design configuration means that the center of gravity of the overall apparatus is at least substantially independent of the prevailing weight of the supply roll of film tube. That in turn means that the substructure for supporting the apparatus and the corresponding floor area on which it stands can be smaller than in the case of the previous apparatuses.

According to another feature of the invention which in principle can also be used independently of the above-outlined mutual arrangement of the supply unit and the filling unit, provided beneath the filling unit and preferably also beneath the supply roll is a free space for the insertion therein of a storage container or receptacle for a line of filling bodies, which receptacle can preferably be easily removed by a user of the apparatus. A line of filling bodies which is produced on demand can be placed in such a receptacle and thus held in intermediate storage there. As the receptacle is arranged beneath the filling unit or the supply unit, that does not entail an increase in the floor area required for the apparatus.

In one form of use of this apparatus the storage receptacle can firstly be filled with filling bodies and then replaced by another empty receptacle, whereupon the full storage receptacle can then be transported to another location, for the use of the filling bodies contained therein. Alternatively, in a preferred configuration of the invention the line of filling bodies which has been transported out of the filling unit can be put into intermediate storage in the receptacle and then can be removed again by way of the discharge unit of the apparatus, if required also simultaneously with implementation of the production procedure. For that purpose, the storage receptacle is preferably of a width which is only slightly greater than the width of the line of filling bodies. This means that the line of filling bodies can be deposited in the receptacle in a meander configuration, without the lines of filling bodies laterally sliding past each other, which could result in them becoming knotted together. The line of filling bodies can be simultaneously removed again from the storage receptacle, from the other end of the line stored in the storage receptacle, from beneath the line. In that way higher levels of filling material capacity which are required in the short term can be conveniently afforded even when the filling unit has a limited filling body yield. Subsequent refilling of the storage receptacle can also be implemented in an automated mode by way of a suitable filling level sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view partly in section of a filling apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the FIG. 1 apparatus, also partly in section;

FIG. 3 shows a detail view of the supply unit of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIGS. 4 and 5 show views of a film tube which can be used in the apparatus according to the invention in the unfilled condition of FIG. 4 and in the filled condition of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a typical plastic film tube which can be used in the apparatus according to the invention for the production of gas-filled filling bodies in the form of an elongate line of gas-filled cushions which can be separated from each other for use by means of perforations or the like between the respective cushions.

Thus reference 60 in FIG. 4 denotes a plastic film tube which can be filled with air by a filling unit, to be described hereinafter, of the apparatus according to the invention, in a flat condition. Reference 62 in FIG. 5 shows the plastic film tube after prefabricated pockets in the tube indicated at 60 in FIG. 4 have been filled with gas, for example air. The film tube has pairs of transverse weld seams indicated at 64 in FIGS. 4 and 5, between each of which is provided a respective separating means such as a perforation 66 or the like, to enable the gas-filled cushions to be suitably separated from each other as by tearing along the perforation 66. In the unfilled condition 60 in FIG. 4 the film tube is initially open at the side thereof which is at the left in FIG. 4. Air is injected into the respective pockets of the film tube by way of the open side by means of the filling unit of the apparatus according to the invention and immediately thereafter a continuous longitudinal weld seam referenced 68 in FIG. 5 is produced.

It will be noted at this juncture that, as an alternative to the film tube shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is also possible to use other known film tubes such as for example those having a plurality of mutually juxtaposed pockets or film tubes which are centrally filled by way of a transverse cut, insofar as the filling unit of the apparatus according to the invention is suitably adapted thereto.

Looking now at FIGS. 1 and 2, reference 14 denotes a filling unit mounted on a flange at the upper end of a support column 32 which extends from a base plate (not referenced) of a wheel-mounted cart 44. Reference numeral 12 generally denotes a supply unit for receiving a replaceable supply roll 20 of flat plastic film tube having prefabricated pockets which can be filled with gas. The film tube is fed to the filling unit 14 from the supply roll 20 by means of the supply unit 12. In the filling unit 14 which is not shown in detail but which is of a generally familiar design configuration the film tube is drawn off the supply roll 20 by an electric motor assembly. The upper and lower film portions at the open side of the film tube are drawn along an expansion element which at the same time is adapted to inject air between the upper and lower film portions. As they progress through the arrangement the upper and lower films are brought together again and welded by a welding tool as is described in greater detail for example in above-mentioned DE 203 15 643 U1 to which reference is again directed. The assembly in the form of an elongate line of mutually interconnected gas-filled pockets 24, referred to hereinafter for the sake of brevity as the line of filling bodies, is deflected downwardly at the exit from the filling unit 14.

It will be seen that in the apparatus according to the invention the supply unit 12 is disposed beneath the filling unit 14. That arrangement means that the apparatus requires a generally smaller area to stand on and thus takes up less floor space. Furthermore, the relatively heavy film roll 20 can be replaced in a more ergonomic fashion as it is arranged at a smaller height above the floor than was usual in the prior apparatus. Furthermore, the stability of the apparatus is markedly improved by virtue of the arrangement of the units 12 and 14 relative to each other as the center of gravity of the film roll 20, the weight of which varies with a varying stock of plastic film thereon, is at least approximately below the center of gravity of the filling unit 14. This means that no or at least no substantial shifts in center of gravity of the apparatus take place during ongoing operation thereof or when changing the supply roll 20.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it can be seen in greater detail from the detailed view thereof that the supply roll 20 is fitted on to a rotatably supported roll holder 48 and is non-rotatably connected thereto. The film material is passed from the roll 20 by way of an entrainment member 32, with a braking action being applied to the supply roll 20 as it rotates in dependence on the position of the entrainment member 32. That prevents plastic film from unintentionally coming unwound from the supply roll 20, which could occur for example because of the moment of inertia of the supply roll 20 as it rotates in the operation of unwinding plastic film therefrom.

Returning now to FIGS. 1 and 2 the line 24 of filling bodies at the exit from the filling unit 14 is deposited in a storage receptacle 18 which is open at the top and which is easily removable from the apparatus, for example by a user thereof. The line 24 of filling bodies is therefore held in intermediate storage in the storage receptacle 18. In order to ensure a certain guidance effect for the line of filling bodies 24 between the exit of the filling unit 14 and the storage receptacle 18, the apparatus has a pair of guide plates indicated at 46 which, as can be seen from the dash-dotted contour at their lower end in FIG. 1, project into the top of the storage receptacle 18 in order to prevent the line of filling bodies 24 from becoming hooked up at the upper edge of the storage receptacle 18 as the line 24 passes thereinto.

The storage receptacle 18 can be made from a relatively light and inexpensive material, more particularly for example cardboard or a plastic-coated card. The width of the storage receptacle 18 is selected to be slightly larger than the width of the line of filling bodies 24 so that the line of filling bodies 24 is deposited in the storage receptacle 18 in loops 26 in an approximately meander-like configuration. It will be noted in this respect that the view thereof in FIG. 1 is somewhat idealised in this aspect, and in general the filling bodies will be deposited therein in loops which are arranged in a less orderly fashion. Irrespective of that, the narrow nature of the receptacle 18, in relation to the width of the line of filling bodies 24, means that individual loops thereof cannot slip laterally past each other, thereby preventing or at least substantially reducing the possibility of the filling bodies becoming tangled up or knotted together within the receptacle.

The free or leading end of the line of filling bodies 24, starting from the bottom region of the storage receptacle 18, that is to say at the bottom right-hand corner shown in FIG. 1, is guided upwardly along the front side 50 of the storage receptacle 18, to a discharge unit 16 which includes a cantilever arm 52 which projects upwardly and extends in height beyond the level of the filling unit 14. It will be noted in this respect that the front side 50 of the storage receptacle 18 does not necessarily need to be free of filling bodies 26 arranged in the loop-like configurations, contrary to the situation diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 where there is a free space between the front side 50 of the receptacle 18 and the most closely adjacent layers of the filling bodies 26.

Reference 30 in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a deflection roller which is mounted in the upper end region of the cantilever arm 52 and over which the free end of the line 24 of filling bodies is passed and then moves freely downwardly therefrom. A user of the apparatus can pull manually on the free or leading end of the line of filling bodies 24 until he has a length thereof which is the desired length for the respective packaging task which he wishes to perform. That procedure is made easier by virtue of the height of the cantilever arm 52 as the user can pull the line of filling bodies downwardly over a greater distance.

Then, the user can separate off the line of filling bodies from the remaining line 24 at one of the perforations between two adjacent filling bodies or cushions.

Optionally, a severing device (not shown) may however also be provided on the arm 52, for dividing the line of filling bodies 24 between two thereof.

A braking device can be provided at the upper end of the arm 52 to prevent the line of filling bodies 24 from unwantedly slipping back due to the force exerted by the weight of the line of filling bodies disposed upstream of the deflection roller 30. Provided for that purpose are a plurality of bodies indicated at 42 in FIG. 1 which are arranged in parallel relationship and which are supported pivotably and which in the opposite direction to the transport direction bear in the manner of a latch against the filling cushions and in that way prevent them from sliding back.

In an alternative configuration which is not specifically illustrated here the arm 52 can additionally also be prolonged horizontally forwardly, that is to say towards the right in FIG. 1, so that it can project for example over a work table arranged beside the apparatus, and in that way can permit a user to have access to the filling bodies when in a seated position. The arm 52 can also be designed to be adjustable and more particularly for example pivotable in order to adapt it to the respective operating conditions and positions involved.

When the user pulls on the free or leading end of the line of filling cushions, filling cushion material is withdrawn from the bottom region of the storage receptacle 18, whereby the receptacle 18 is progressively emptied. In order to permit it to be automatically filled, provided in the lower region of the storage receptacle 18 are mutually oppositely disposed openings, in the side walls thereof. An infrared light barrier assembly comprising a transmitting/receiving unit indicated at 34 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a reflector unit indicated at 36 in FIG. 1, being operatively disposed fixedly in the bottom region of the receptacle 18, are operable through the openings in the side walls of the storage receptacle 18. If the filling level in the receptacle 18 falls below the level of the light barrier assembly, the beam thereof is cleared and can be passed from the unit 34 to the reflector 36 and back again. In that case a control unit 38 in the filling unit 14 receives a signal, whereupon production of a predetermined amount or length of filling bodies is then initiated.

It will be appreciated that, as an alternative to the control arrangement just described above, it is also possible to provide other level regulating systems, for example by means of two light barrier assemblies which respectively detect a maximum and a minimum filling level.

It will be appreciated that in operation of the apparatus it is also possible to circumvent the storage receptacle 18 and to take the produced filling bodies directly from the filling unit 14.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the overall dimension of the apparatus from back to front, that is to say from the left-hand side in FIG. 1 to the right-hand side, can be reduced in comparison with previous apparatuses, so that the supply roll no longer protrudes rearwardly, therefore affording a reduction in the amount of floor space required. In addition, the apparatus configuration described is advantageous from the ergonomic point of view, as arranging the mounting bar on which the supply roll 20 is carried as low as possible facilitates the operation of changing it, as the supply roll which in some cases can weigh several kilograms no longer has to be lifted up very high by the operator when changing an empty roll for a full roll, but rather the new roll can be fitted in place conveniently, for example at chest height of the operator. Thus the supply unit can be at between 60 and 120 cm above the ground.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: 

1. Apparatus for the production of gas-filled filling bodies in the form of a line of mutually separable gas-filled cushions from a flat plastic film tube which is provided on a supply roll, comprising: a supply unit for receiving the supply roll of the plastic film tube which has prefabricated pockets which can be filled with gas, a filling unit, means for feeding the plastic film tube to the filling unit from the supply unit, wherein the filling unit is adapted for filling the prefabricated pockets in the plastic film tube with a filling gas, with the filling gas being fed to the pockets by way of suitable filling openings thereof, and for subsequently sealingly closing the filling openings, a discharge unit for discharge of the continuous line of filling bodies, and a carrier frame means for holding the supply unit, the filling unit and the discharge unit, wherein the supply unit is arranged on the carrier frame means beneath the filling unit.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge unit is integrated into the filling unit.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge unit is spatially separate from the filling unit.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling unit has a base plate, wherein the supply unit is arranged beneath the base plate of the filling unit, and wherein the center of gravity of the filling unit and the center of gravity of the supply unit at least approximately coincide on a perpendicular axis.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the supply unit is arranged at a height of between 60 and 120 cm above the level of the ground.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, including beneath the filling unit a free space for the insertion of a storage container for the line of filling bodies, the container preferably being adapted to be easily removable from the apparatus.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 which is so designed that the line of filling bodies is firstly put into intermediate storage from the filling unit in the storage container and is then fed to the discharge unit, from which a line of filling bodies of the respectively desired length can be removed by a user and can be separated from the remaining line of filling bodies.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a control unit for controlling production of the gas-filled filling bodies, and at least one sensor connected to the control unit and associated with the storage container and operable to control the production of filling bodies in dependence on the degree of filling of the storage container.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor is in the form of a light barrier means having a beam path which is cleared as soon as the filling level of filling bodies in the storage container falls below a predetermined minimum level, and wherein the control unit is adapted to initiate the production of a predetermined length of a line of filling bodies when the filling level in the storage container falls below the minimum level.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge unit includes a cantilever arm which projects beyond the filling unit in respect of height and which has an upper end, and further comprising a direction-changing roller at said upper end of the cantilever arm for deflection of the line of filling bodies, the arrangement being such that the end of the line of filling bodies hangs down freely from the cantilever arm.
 11. The apparatus of claim 6 which is so designed that the line of filling bodies is deposited in the storage container in a meander configuration by the filling unit, and wherein the line of filling bodies, starting from the lowermost position thereof in the storage container, is fed to the discharge unit along a front side of the storage container.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10, including a braking member on the cantilever arm of the discharge unit in the region of said direction-changing roller and operable to brake the movement of the downwardly hanging line of filling bodies.
 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cantilever arm of the discharge unit projects forwardly beyond the base area of the apparatus.
 14. A storage container for an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the storage container is in the general form of a box having a bottom, side walls and an open top and the width of which is slightly greater than the width of the line of filling bodies and which in its side walls has at least one pair of mutually oppositely disposed openings through which a light barrier means of the apparatus is operable to detect the filling level in the storage container. 